Amman:Education Minister Azmi Mahafzah held a meeting with a high-level Iraqi delegation, including presidents of Iraqi technical universities and officials from Iraq's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in academic, scientific, and vocational training.
According to Jordan News Agency, Mahafzah praised the longstanding ties between Jordan and Iraq and the academic accomplishments of Iraqi universities. He provided insights into Jordan's higher education landscape, which comprises 10 public universities, 21 private universities, and 78 higher education institutes, collectively serving around 470,000 students through 644 academic programs.
Mahafzah emphasized Jordan's strategic move towards applied and technical education to better align with labor market needs. This initiative is part of Jordan's Economic Modernization Vision and public sector reform roadmap, leading to the establishment of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development.
The Iraqi delegation, led by Middle Technical University's President Waddah Hatem, acknowledged the advanced level of Jordanian institutions in applied learning. They shared details of Iraq's ongoing reforms in technical and vocational education, aimed at modernizing curricula to meet labor market demands.
Discussions included the facilitation of student and faculty exchanges, joint research projects, mutual university admissions, and the expansion of scholarship programs such as "Study in Iraq." Both parties also considered collaboration in quality assurance, academic accreditation, female empowerment in technical fields, and curriculum development in areas like artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to form a joint committee to coordinate future cooperation, activate existing academic memorandums into practical initiatives, and maintain engagement with Jordan's Higher Education Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission. The visit was supported by the Tawasal project, which aims to enhance Iraq's technical and vocational training sector through regional knowledge transfer and institutional capacity building.